RESD technical education millage renewed

The Gratiot-isabella Regional Education Service District Career and Technical Education millage was overwhelmingly approved by voters in Tuesday’s primary election.

The 10-year, 1-mill levy was passed by a more than a three-to-one margin, 4,705 to 1,484.

The vote total in Isabella County was 2,544 in favor and 755 against with about 10 percent of the registered voters casting ballots, while in Gratiot County it was 2,161, to 729 with an 11 percent turnout.

The renewal will continue to provide support and funding for 20 CTE programs at the Gratiotisabella Technical Education Centers located at Alma and Mt. Pleasant high schools.

Those programs include accounting, agri-science, automotive and small engine repair, culinary arts, welding, electronics, criminal justice, construction trades, digital media, and healthcare careers, among others.

All high school students at Alma, Beal City, Breckenridge, Fulton, Ithaca, Morey Flex Tech, Mt. Pleasant, Odyssey, Sacred Heart, Shepherd and St. Louis are eligible to take classes.

According to G-I RESD officials, “The millage helps allow local districts to send students to the CTE consortium programs (where) students engage in a hands-on learning environment with state-of-the-art and industry standard equipment.”